Self-contained medical care unit

ABSTRACT

Self-contained medical care unit consisting of a module forming a container ( 1 ) in which there is situated at least one care room ( 2 ), the container being equipped with a self-supporting structure and comprising at least one collection of peripheral walls ( 4   a,    4   b,    4   c,    4   d ), the care unit comprising means allowing it to be attached removably to a central medical care structure ( 13 ), characterized in that, in the attached position, the said module is incorporated into the central structure ( 13 ), whereas the module is such that at least some of its peripheral walls are removable to allow access to the space from the central structure ( 13 ), and in that the space comprises means ( 12 ) of connection to corresponding connections of the central structure ( 13 ), allowing the care unit to be connected to all necessary supplies, such as supplies of electricity, oxygen and the like, and in that the module ( 1 ) comprises at its lower part rolling and bearing means allowing, on the one hand, the said module to be moved around in order to incorporate it into the central unit and allowing this rolling to be prevented and the module to be borne and held in place in a firm and stable manner once it has been installed.

The present invention relates to a self-contained medical care unit and the associated central care structure.

It relates more particularly to a unit of the type comprised of a module forming a container within which at least one care room is located, the container being equipped with a self-supporting structure and including walls provided with a main opening giving access to the patients.

It should be specified here that, within the scope of the invention, by medical care is meant any types of actions performed to preserve health, to establish one or more types of diagnosis on the health condition, to restore the health of a person, or to take samples from a person.

It should also be specified that, within the scope of the invention, by self-contained medical care unit is meant a unit that incorporates all of the equipment, medical apparatuses and their control devices, making it possible to dispense medical care entirely from within the module constituting the unit, without it requiring the patient to go outside of this module.

For example, a self-contained medical care unit known as “MRI” is a type of unit that incorporates a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (MRI), as well as its control device and/or panel inside the module.

For example, a dental care unit is a type of unit that incorporates the dental medical equipment needed by a dentist to check the condition of a tooth or teeth of a patient and/or to work on such tooth/teeth.

For example, medical imaging or scanning apparatuses can apply medical care by visual diagnosis of the health condition of a patient.

The cost of certain medical apparatuses is so prohibitive that certain medical health care centers, such as private clinics or hospitals, with limited financial resources, cannot afford such investments. Therefore, medical care cannot be proposed by such private clinics or hospitals. This is the case, for example, of private clinics with no medical imaging center, which thus cannot perform magnetic resonance imaging on their patients and send them to other, more capable health care centers.

To partially remedy the drawbacks and possible delays in providing diagnoses or needed medical care due this situation, mobile medical care units have been developed. For example, these self-contained units are entirely comprised of the trailer of a truck, inside which appropriately sized medical apparatuses are provided, powered by a generator, also installed in the trailer, and controlled by control devices and/or panel also installed inside. In this regard, one can cite blood transfusion trucks or medical imaging centers, the walls of which incorporate a Faraday cage and the outer surfaces of which demarcate the contours of the trailer.

These self-contained mobile units, temporarily installed in the vicinity a private clinic or a hospital are not entirely satisfactory. Indeed, firstly, the location in which the truck is parked, in the vicinity of the clinic or hospital, is not necessarily intended for this purpose: the access to these units can be difficult for the patients, in particular for patients who are not self-reliant, such as those in a wheelchair or on a stretcher. Secondly, patients who are already hospitalized and are more sensitive to the surrounding conditions must necessarily cross a zone in the open air, which can be harmful to the state of their health. Lastly, the daily cost for setting up and immobilizing such a self-contained mobile unit can prove to be high.

The object of the invention is then to remedy all or part of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

To this end, the invention relates to a self-contained medical care unit, of the type comprised of a module forming a container within which at least one care room is located, the container being equipped with a self-supporting structure including a set of peripheral walls, at least one of which and/or a portion of one of which can be dismounted, and which includes means enabling it to be removably attached to a central medical care structure such that, in the attached position, the main opening giving access to the patients is directly opposite an access arranged in the central structure, through which the patients access the unit.

It should be specified here that, within the scope of the invention, by “central medical care structure” is meant a building inside which medical care is normally provided.

Thus, the self-contained medical care unit of the invention is comprised of a module forming a container within which at least one care room is located, the container being equipped with a self-supporting structure and including at least one set of peripheral walls, the care unit including means enabling it to be removably attached to a central medical care structure, characterized in that, in the attached position, said module is incorporated into the central structure, whereas the module is such that at least some of its peripheral walls are removable in order to allow access into the enclosed space from the central structure,

in that the enclosed space includes means for connection to corresponding connections of the central structure, enabling the care unit to be connected to all necessary supplies, such as electric current, oxygen and the like,

and in that the module includes, in its lower portion, rolling and bearing means enabling said module to be moved in order to incorporate it into the central unit, on the one hand, and allowing this rolling to be stopped and the module to be supported and held in place in a stable and firm manner once it has been set up.

According to complementary characteristics, the container includes a control room for the medical device(s) that can be installed inside the care room, as well as a technical room, which includes a secondary opening for access, providing access to the users intervening in the technical room.

According to another characteristic, the module includes, in its lower portion, displacement and bearing means, enabling said module to be moved in order to incorporate it into the central unit, on the one hand, and allowing this rolling to be stopped and the module to be supported and held in place in a stable and firm manner once it has been set up.

The invention also relates to the central medical care structure adapted to receive the care unit, which includes means enabling it to removably receive said medical care unit.

The present invention also relates to the characteristics which will become apparent from the description that follows, and which are to be considered separately or according to any possible technical combinations thereof.

This description, given by way of a nonlimiting example, helps to better understand how the invention can be embodied, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view, in cross-section along a horizontal plane of a self-contained medical care unit according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic lateral view, in longitudinal cross-section along a vertical plane.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, showing the care unit, one of its peripheral walls, in particular an end wall, and a portion of another wall, in particular a lateral wall, being removed, as can be the case when the unit is positioned in the central structure.

FIG. 4 is a top view, in cross-section along a horizontal plane of the zone of the central structure adapted to receive the care unit.

FIGS. 5 a, 5 b, 5 c, 5 d illustrate the various steps in setting up the care unit in the receiving central structure.

FIG. 6 is a top view, in cross-section along a horizontal plane, illustrating the central unit in its position of use.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to the view of FIG. 3, showing two other possibilities of removal of the peripheral walls.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate how the rolling and bearing means of the module are implemented.

The self-contained medical care unit designated by the general reference numeral (1), is comprised of a single module forming a container (1) within which a main care room (2) is located. Inside this care room (2) is arranged an apparatus (3) for medical care or diagnosis, such as a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, for example, dimensioned for this purpose.

The container (1) according to the invention is equipped with a self-supporting structure and includes a set of peripheral walls (4 a, 4 b, 4 c, 4 d) as well as a set of inner walls (5 a, 5 b), an upper wall (40 a) and a lower wall (40 b). Inside the container (1) is a control and monitoring room (6) having, for example, a panel (7) for controlling the care or diagnosis apparatus(3) located in the care room, an inner wall (5 a) with an access door (9) separating these two rooms (2, 6).

Furthermore, the container (1) includes a technical room (10) having a secondary opening (11) opening out towards the outside, which gives exclusive access to the people working inside this room, in particular when a patient is present in the care room (2), without disturbing the medical care being dispensed to this patient.

The self-contained care unit (1) includes a set of connections (12) enabling the care unit to be connected to all necessary supplies, such as electric current, oxygen, telephone and the like.

According to the invention, the unit (1), which is a self-contained mobile care unit, and is therefore initially free of any central structure, is adapted to be removably incorporated into a stationary medical care central structure (13), such as a private clinic, a hospital, or the like.

Thus, the central structure (13) includes a reception space (14) before a first opening (15) opening out towards the outside and used for bringing in the unit (1), and a second opening (16) opening out inward of the structure and used for internal access, when the unit (1) is in place.

The central structure (13) according to the invention includes, for example, a rail system (17 a, 17 b) installed on a paving slab in the structure, at least within the reception space (14) that slidably receives the care unit (1) according to the invention, which can be positioned laterally via a sliding motion. This positioning can be carried out by any suitable handling means.

FIGS. 5 a, 5 b, 5 c, 5 d) illustrate the various steps in setting up the care unit (1) in the receiving central structure (13).

Thus, due to a sliding or rolling path, the care unit (1) is presented in front of the first opening (15), (FIG. 5 a), and then moved gradually inside of the reception space (14), as illustrated in FIGS. 5 b, 5 c, 5 d.

Once the unit (1) has been completely moved in, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 d and 6, the end peripheral wall (4 d) opposite the second access opening, as well as a wall portion (4′c) of the lateral wall (4 c), are dismounted on the side of the second opening (15) to provide access to the control and monitoring room. Furthermore, the unit (1) is wired due to the connections (12).

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to the view of FIG. 3, showing two other possibilities of removal of the peripheral walls.

According to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 7, three peripheral walls are removed, namely the end wall (4 d), and a portion (4′c) of one of the lateral walls (4 c), as well as a portion (4′a) of the other lateral wall (4 a), all of these walls (4 d, 4′a, 4′c) at least partially demarcating the control room (6).

According to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 8, only one peripheral wall is removed, and more precisely a portion (4′c) of the lateral wall (4 c) is removed, this wall portion (4′c) at least partially demarcating the control room (6).

It is noted that the module (1) includes, in its lower portion, rolling and bearing means enabling said module to be moved in order to incorporate it into the central unit, on the one hand, and allowing this rolling to be stopped and the module to be supported and held in place in a stable and firm manner once it has been set up. These means are illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10.

Thus these means are comprised of an assembly of rolling and bearing elements (20) arranged under the module.

Each of the assemblies, one of which is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, includes:

-   -   at least one wheel, the illustrated example including two wheels         (21 a, 21 b) enabling the rolling displacement on the rails (17         a, 17 b) in order to incorporate the module in the central unit         (13), and     -   at least one support comprised of a screw, the illustrated         example including two supports (22 a, 22 b) enabling the module         to be stabilized once incorporated into the central unit (13).

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown by way of examples, but also includes all of the technical equivalents as well as their combinations. 

1. Self-contained medical care unit comprised of a module forming a container (1) within which at least one care room (2) is located, the container being equipped with a self-supporting structure and including at least one set of peripheral walls (4 a, 4 b, 4 c, 4 d), the care unit including means enabling it to be removably attached to a central medical care structure (2), characterized in that, in the attached position, said module is incorporated into the central structure (2), whereas the module is such that at least some of its peripheral walls (4 d, 4′c, 4′a) are removable in order to allow access into the enclosed space from the central structure, in that the enclosed space includes means (12) for connection to corresponding connections of the central structure, enabling the care unit to be connected to all necessary supplies, such as electric current, oxygen and the like, and in that the module (1) includes, in its lower portion, rolling and bearing means enabling said module to be moved in order to incorporate it into the central unit, on the one hand, and allowing this rolling to be stopped and the module to be supported and held in place in a stable and firm manner once it has been set up.
 2. Self-contained medical care unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the container includes a room (6) for controlling medical apparatuses that can be installed inside the care room (2) and a technical room (10).
 3. Self-contained medical care unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the technical room (10) includes a secondary opening (11) for access, providing access to the users working in the technical room.
 4. Self-contained medical care unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the module (1) includes, in its lower portion, rolling and bearing means enabling said module to be moved in order to incorporate it into the central unit, on the one hand, and allowing this rolling to be stopped and the module to be supported and held in place in a stable and firm manner once it has been set up.
 5. Self-contained medical care unit according to claim 4, characterized in that the rolling means are comprised of an assembly of rolling elements comprised of at least one wheel (21 a, 21 b) enabling a sliding displacement on the rails (17 a, 17 b) in order to incorporate the module into the central unit (13).
 6. Self-contained medical care unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the bearing means are comprised of an assembly of support elements (20) arranged beneath the module, including at least one support comprised of a screw (22 a, 22 b) enabling the module to be stabilized once incorporated into the central unit (13).
 7. Central medical care structure (2) adapted to receive the care unit (1) of claim 1, characterized in that it includes means enabling it to removably receive said medical care unit (1).
 8. Central structure (2) according to claim 7, characterized in that it includes a reception space (14) before a first opening (15) opening out towards the outside and used for moving in the unit (1), and a second opening (16) opening out towards the inside of the structure and used for access when the unit (1) is in place.
 9. Central structure (2) according to claim 8, characterized in that it includes a rail system (17 a, 17 b) installed on a paving slab in the central structure to enable the care unit (1) to be moved inside the reception space (14) provided in the central structure (13). 